Method and apparatus for managing storage space on storage device in an electronic apparatus by using context data and user profile data

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for reserving a usable storage space on a storage device is provided. The method includes collecting context data representing an environment surrounding the storage device; selecting at least one file from among files stored in the storage device by using at least one of the context data and user profile data; and processing the selected file and reserving a usable storage space on the storage device. The method reserves the usable storage space by using the context data or user profile data, thereby allowing efficient reserving of usable storage space without a user&#39;s manual intervention and preventing waste of unnecessary resources.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/748,851 filed on Jan. 22, 2020, which is acontinuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/686,467,filed on Aug. 25, 2017, which is a continuation application of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/077,629, filed on Nov. 12, 2013, whichissued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,747,296 on Aug. 29, 2017, which claimspriority from Indian Application No. 4719/CHE/2012, filed on Nov. 12,2012, in the India Patent Office, and Korean Patent Application No.10-2013-0086267, filed on Jul. 22, 2013, in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

One or more exemplary embodiments relate to a method and apparatus formanaging a storage space on a storage device in an electronic apparatuswhich includes the storage device. More particularly, the exemplaryembodiments to a technique for reserving a usable storage space on astorage device.

2. Description of the Related Art

To prevent unnecessary waste of resources, it is important to maintain ausable storage space on a storage device to which data is being copiedfrom another storage device, prior to the data being copied.

For example, if a user downloads data to an electronic apparatus fromthe Internet, the downloaded data is first stored in a cache memory andthen transmitted to a storage device in the electronic apparatus. Whenthe storage device has an insufficient space available therein to storethe data, the result may be a waste of a lot of resources, includingInternet resources for downloading the data, cache memory resources forstoring the data, and central processing unit (CPU) resources forcopying the data.

Thus, in order to copy data without wasting resources, a sufficientspace should be freed up on a storage device by deleting, compressing,or moving unnecessary files prior to or while copying data. A techniqueof the related art requires the manual intervention of a user to free upa sufficient space by deleting, compressing or moving unnecessary files.

SUMMARY

One or more exemplary embodiments include a method and apparatus forefficiently reserving sufficient space required to copy data bydeleting, compressing or moving unnecessary files without userintervention. In particular, a method and apparatus for efficientlyfreeing up usable storage space, based on the environment surroundingthe storage device and user characteristics.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description whichfollows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may belearned by practice of the exemplary embodiments.

According to one or more exemplary embodiments, a method of managing astorage space on a storage device in an electronic apparatus includingthe storage device includes: collecting context data which represents anenvironment surrounding the storage device; selecting at least one filefrom among files stored in the storage device by using at least one ofthe context data and user profile data; and processing the selected fileand reserving a usable storage space on the storage device.

In reserving usable storage space on the storage device, at least one ofdeletion, movement and compression may be performed on the selectedfile.

The context data may include at least one of sensor information, timeinformation, location information, network information and informationrelated to the storage device.

The user profile data may include at least one of user inclination, userpreference, user ID information, the usage time of the storage device,the number of times that a user accesses data, information related todata unused by the user, information related to the time when data islast accessed by the user, information related to a priority level ofdata and information related to a user's automatic deletion of data.

In reserving the usable storage space on the storage device, in responseto a determination that that the storage device is able to connect to awireless network while the user moves, the selected file may be movedover the wireless network to another storage device.

In reserving usable storage space on the storage device, in response toa determination that the storage device is not connected to the wirelessnetwork while the user moves, the selected file is moved to anotherstorage device within the electronic apparatus.

The method may further include receiving the user profile data from auser of the storage device.

In reserving usable storage space on the storage device, at least one ofthe context data and the user profile data may be used.

The method further includes outputting a message which indicates thatthe usable storage space has been reserved to a user on the storagedevice.

The method may further include outputting a message which indicates to auser the performance of at least one of the performed tasks.

The method may further include outputting a message which confirmswhether to delete the selected file to a user when the selected file isto be deleted.

According to one or more exemplary embodiments, an apparatus formanaging a storage space on a storage device includes: a context datacollector configured to collect context data which represents anenvironment surrounding the storage device; a file selector configuredto select at least one from files stored in the storage device by usingat least one of the context data and user profile data; and a fileprocessor configured to process the selected file and reserves a usablestorage space on the storage device.

The file processor may perform at least one of deletion, movement andcompression of the selected file.

The context data may include at least one of sensor information, timeinformation, location information, network information, and informationrelated to the storage device.

The user profile data may include at least one of user inclination, userpreference, user ID information, the usage time of the storage device,the number of times that a user accesses data, information related todata unused by the user, information related to the time when data islast accessed by the user, information related to a priority level ofdata and information related to a users automatic deletion of data.

In response to a determination that the storage device is able toconnect to a wireless network while the user moves, the file processormay move the selected file over the wireless network to another storagedevice.

In response to a determination that the storage device is not connectedto the wireless network while the user moves, the file processor maymove the selected file to another storage device within an electronicapparatus which includes the storage device.

The apparatus may further include a user input configured to receive theuser profile data from a user of the storage device.

The file processor may be configured to use at least one of the contextdata and the user profile data.

The apparatus may further include a message output configured to outputa message which indicates that the usable storage space has beenreserved to a user on the storage device.

The apparatus may further include a message output configured to outputa message which indicates to a user the performance of at least one ofthe performed tasks.

The apparatus may further include a message output configured to outputa message confirming whether to delete the selected file to a user whenthe selected file is to be deleted.

An aspect of an exemplary embodiment may further provide an apparatusfor managing a storage space on a storage device of an electronicapparatus which includes the storage device, the apparatus including: acontext data collector, configured to collect context data; a fileselector configured to select at least one file from among files storedin the storage device by using at least one of the collected contextdata and user profile data; and a file processor configured to processthe selected at least one file and reserve a usable storage space on thestorage device based on the collected context data and the user profiledata, without manual input from a user.

The collected context data may represent an environment surrounding thestorage device. The file processor may moves the selected file toanother storage device over the wireless network, in response to adetermination that the storage device is able to connect to a wirelessnetwork while the user moves.

The file processor moves the selected file to another storage devicewithin an electronic apparatus which includes the another storagedevice, in response to a determination that the storage device is notconnected to the wireless network while the user moves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readilyappreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method of managing a storage space on astorage device in an electronic apparatus which includes the storagedevice, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates reservation of a usable storage space on a storagedevice based on user profile data, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates reservation of a usable storage space on a storagedevice based on user profile data, according to another exemplaryembodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates a screen that displays tasks performed in order tofree up to a user a storage space on a storage device, according to anexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates a screen that displays details related to tasksperformed to free up a storage space to a user on a storage device,according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates reservation of a usable storage space on a storagedevice based on context data in an electronic apparatus which includesthe storage device, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 7 illustrates a screen that outputs a message to a user prior tofreeing up a storage space on a storage device, according to anexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 8 illustrates movement of unnecessary files within a storage devicethrough a network, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 9 illustrates transfer of unnecessary files between a plurality ofelectronic apparatuses used by a user over a network based on contextdata, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 10 illustrates reservation of a usable storage space on a storagedevice in a mobile apparatus which includes the storage device based onnetwork information, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 11 illustrates a user interface for receiving user profile data,according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 12 illustrates a user interface for setting user profile data foreach file according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 13 illustrates user profile data according to an exemplaryembodiment;

FIG. 14 illustrates a screen displaying user profile data, according toan exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 15 illustrates setting of data to reserve a usable storage space ona storage device based on user profile data, according to an exemplaryembodiment; and

FIG. 16 illustrates an apparatus for managing a storage space on astorage device, according to an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafterwith reference to the accompanying drawings so that they may be easilyimplemented by one of ordinary skill in the art. The exemplaryembodiments may, however, be embodied in many different forms and shouldnot be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forthherein. Parts not related to the exemplary embodiments are omitted toclarify the description of the exemplary embodiments. Like numeralsdenote like elements throughout. Expressions such as “at least one of,”when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elementsand do not modify the individual elements of the list.

As used herein, the expression “context data” refers to data that isused as a basis for determining an environment surrounding a storagedevice, such as sensor information, time information, locationinformation, network information and information related to the storagedevice. According to one or more exemplary embodiments, the storagedevice selects a file having a low priority from the storage device, anddetermines which tasks to perform in order to process the selected filein order to reserve a storage space on the storage device based oncontext data.

“User profile data” refers to information related to a user, such asuser inclination, user preference, user ID information, the usage timeof a storage device, the number of times that a user accesses data,information related to data unused by the user, information related tothe time when data is last accessed by the user, information related toa priority level of data and information related to a user's automaticdeletion of data. For example, the user profile data may includeinformation containing a user's history and characteristics, andinformation used to identify the user. The user profile data may bestored based on the user's history. According to one or more exemplaryembodiments, the storage device selects a file having a low priorityfrom the storage device, and determines which tasks to perform in orderto process the selected file in order to reserve a storage space on thestorage device based on the context data.

Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail with reference tothe accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method of managing a storage space on astorage device in an electronic apparatus which includes the storagedevice, according to an exemplary embodiment. Examples of the electronicapparatus may include laptops, notebook computers, mobile phones,personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other communication devices. Thestorage device may include volatile and non-volatile storage media.

The volatile storage media may include a dynamic memory such as RandomAccess Memory (RAM). The non-volatile storage media may include a staticmemory such as RAM, a floppy disk, an optical disk, and a hard disk.

Context data representing an ambient environment of a storage device iscollected (S110). The context data may be collected through a sensor.For example, location information that is an example of context data maybe collected by a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor. Timeinformation that is another example of context data may be received froma server. Information related to a storage device that is anotherexample of context data may contain the remaining storage space and theperformance of a surrounding storage device. Network information maycontain a network that may be used by a user and its performance.

At least one file is selected from files stored in the storage devicebased on user profile data and context data (S120). An environmentsurrounding the storage device may be identified on the basis of thecollected context data. That is, the collected context data may providea basis for determining a selection of a file having a low priority. Theuser profile data represents the characteristics of a user and is usedas a reference in determining a file having a low priority.

The selected file is processed to reserve a usable storage space on thestorage device (S130). A task that will be performed to reserve thestorage space on the storage device is determined by using at least oneof context data and user profile data. At least one of deletion,movement and compression of the selected file may be performed toreserve the storage space. In response to the determination that thestorage device is able to connect to a wireless network while the usermoves, the electronic apparatus may move the selected file to anotherstorage device over the wireless network. On the other hand, in responseto the determination that the storage device is not connected to thewireless network while the user moves, the electronic apparatus may movethe selected file to another storage device in the electronic apparatus.When the usable storage space is reserved on the storage device, amessage indicating that the usable storage space has been reserved onthe storage device may be output to the user. In particular, a messagewhich indicates the performance of at least one of the performed tasksmay be output to the user. In response to the determination that theselected file is to be deleted, a message confirming whether the userwishes to delete the file may be output to the user.

The electronic apparatus may receive user profile data from the user ofthe storage device.

FIG. 2 illustrates reservation of a usable storage space on a storagedevice based on user profile data, according to an exemplary embodiment.

In the exemplary embodiment, an assumption is made that the storagedevice has an insufficient space to store a file that a user makes arequest to copy.

An assumption is also made that the user watched a movie by playing amovie file movie.avi a long time ago (Jan. 1, 2000), and that the moviefile movie.avi has since been stored on the storage device without beingplayed. Information which indicates that the user has stored the moviefile movie.avi without watching the same for a long time may be storedas part of the user profile data.

Referring to FIG. 2, the user selects YES 210 to request copying of afile to the storage device. When the user makes a request to copy thefile to the storage device, the file is copied to the storage device,and a message which indicates that the file is being copied is displayedto the user on a screen. While the file is being copied to the storagedevice, the user may select the movie file movie.avi that has not beenplayed for a long time. The selected movie file movie.avi may bedeleted, moved or compressed so as to reserve a usable space on thestorage device. According to an exemplary embodiment, a usable space isreserved by deleting the movie file movie.avi. In this case, a messageindicating that the movie file movie.avi has been deleted may bedisplayed to the user.

FIG. 3 illustrates reservation of a usable storage space on a storagedevice based on user profile data, according to another exemplaryembodiment.

In an exemplary embodiment, an assumption is made that the storagedevice has insufficient space to store a file that a user has requestedto copy.

An assumption is also made that the user has a preference for movies.The user preference may be received through a user interface and storedas part of a user profile data. The user preference may be determinedbased on a user's history, and the determined user preference may bestored as part of the user profile data.

Referring to FIG. 3, the user selects YES 30 to request copying of afile to the storage device. When the user makes a request to copy thefile to the storage device, the file is copied to the storage device,and a message indicating that the file is being copied is displayed tothe user on a screen. While the file is being copied to the storagedevice, the user may select a file having a low priority to reserve ausable space on the storage device. A movie file may not be selectedbased on a part of the user profile data which represents the userpreference for movies, so as to reserve a usable storage space on thestorage device. However, the exemplary embodiments are not limitedthereto, and a movie file may be selected, notwithstanding the portionof the user profile data which represents the user preference formovies. When a usable space is reserved on the storage device based onthe portion of usable profile data which indicates the user preferencefor movies, the selected movie file may not be deleted. The usable spacemay be reserved on the storage device by moving or compressing the moviefile, instead of deleting the same. In an exemplary embodiment, theusable space has been reserved on the storage device by moving theselected movie file movie.avi and by deleting a folder which isunrelated to a movie. As shown in FIG. 3, tasks performed to reserve theusable space on the storage device may be displayed to the user.

FIG. 4 illustrates a screen that displays tasks performed to reserve astorage space on a storage device to a user, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, the screen informs the user that a file stored inthe storage device is deleted, moved or compressed in order to reserve ausable storage space on the storage device without requiring userintervention, to avoid having the user misunderstand the performedtasks.

FIG. 5 illustrates a screen that displays details related to tasksperformed to reserve a storage space on a storage device to a user,according to an exemplary embodiment. Unlike the screen illustrated inFIG. 4, according to an exemplary embodiment, the screen informs theuser of details related to the tasks performed in order to reserve thestorage space on the storage device.

FIG. 6 illustrates reservation of a usable storage space on a storagedevice based on context data in an electronic apparatus which includesthe storage device, according to an exemplary embodiment.

In an exemplary embodiment, an assumption is made that a user isdownloading a file over the Internet early in the morning. In most caseswhere a file is downloaded to the storage device early in the morning,the user may be nowhere near the storage device. Thus, when theelectronic apparatus deletes a users files stored in the storage devicewithout permission during a user' absence, the result may be that theuser may lose important files.

According to an exemplary embodiment, current time information may becollected as a portion of the context data, and a usable storage spacemay be reserved on the storage device based on the current timeinformation. The current time information may be used to determine thetime when data is downloaded to the storage space on the storage device.When the time information indicates that data is downloaded at dawn, theusable storage space may be reserved by moving or compressing a file,instead of deleting it.

A light sensor may be used to detect that there is no light around thestorage device, or a short-range sensor may detect that the user is notnearby the storage device.

Referring to FIG. 6, when data is downloaded to the storage device onthe storage device early in the morning, a file may not be deleted fromthe storage device. Instead of deleting the file, a movie.avi file inthe storage device may be moved to another storage device, or a gamefolder therein may be compressed.

FIG. 7 illustrates a screen that outputs a message to a user prior tofreeing up a storage space on a storage device, according to anexemplary embodiment.

The user may not want a predetermined task to be performed from amongtasks for reserving a usable storage space. Thus, as shown in FIG. 7,the screen may display a message that informs a user of a task that willbe performed prior to reserving a usable storage space on a storagedevice. The user may then select whether a task will be performed forreserving a storage space. It is also possible to predict the size of aspace on the storage device that will be created by performing the taskfor reserving the usable storage space thereon. The screen also displaysthe predicted size so as to inform the user.

FIG. 8 illustrates movement of unnecessary files stored in a storagedevice through a network, according to an exemplary embodiment. Examplesof the network may include a local area network (LAN), a wide areanetwork (WAN), a wireless network and a cloud network.

FIG. 8 shows a cloud space 801 and an electronic apparatus 802.

Unnecessary files selected in a storage device incorporated in theelectronic apparatus 802 may be moved to another remote electronicapparatus over the network in order to reserve a storage space.Referring to FIG. 8, in an exemplary embodiment, an assumption is madethat an unnecessary file is moved over the network and stored in thecloud space 801. An authentication process may be performed to accessthe cloud space 801 prior to moving the file to the cloud space 801.Since an identifier or password needed for the authentication processmay be stored in advance as part of the user profile data, theauthentication process may be performed without the users intervention.However, the exemplary embodiments not limited thereto, and direct userauthentication may be required. After completing the authenticationprocess, the file in the storage device may be moved to the cloud space801 over the network.

FIG. 9 illustrates a transfer of unnecessary files between a pluralityof electronic apparatuses used by a user over a network, based oncontext data, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 9 shows a home 910, a network 920, and a company 930.

A user may use the plurality of electronic apparatuses in a plurality ofplaces. Files may be arranged according to user preferences in eachplace. In an exemplary embodiment, an assumption is made that the useroperates electronic apparatuses in the home 910 and the company 930.

When using an electronic apparatus including a storage device in thecompany 930, the user may want video files, such as a movie file, to bemoved to another storage device, since the video files occupy a largepercentage of the storage space on the storage device of the electronicapparatus. For example, the video files may be moved over network 920,to a storage device of another electronic apparatus used in the home910.

When using an electronic apparatus including a storage device in thehome 910, the user wants document files, such as a file related to workat the company 930, to be moved to another storage device. Thus, thedocument files may be moved over the network 920 to the other storagedevice of the electronic apparatus used in the company 930. Thus, theuser may gather the documents without scattering them within differentlocations.

When a file that the user desires to be moved and a location of adesired storage space are preset, the desired file may be preferentiallymoved to the desired location, in order to reserve a usable storagespace on the storage device.

FIG. 10 illustrates reservation of a usable storage space on a storagedevice in a mobile apparatus including the storage device based onnetwork information, according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 10 showsa mobile apparatus 1020 and a cloud space 1010.

When the storage device is included in the mobile apparatus 1020, suchas a portable notebook or a smartphone, movement of a file having a lowpriority over a network may be determined according to whether themobile apparatus 1020 is connectable to the network. The mobileapparatus 1020 may use a wireless network. For example, in response tothe mobile apparatus 1020 being located in an environment, such as ahome, where the mobile apparatus 1020 may easily connect to a network,the mobile apparatus 1020 may move a file over the network. According toan exemplary embodiment, a file is moved to the cloud space 1010 overthe network. However, the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto,and the file may be moved over the network to another remote electronicapparatus. Although the user desires to have a sufficient usable storagespace on the storage device of the mobile apparatus 1020, the number ofunnecessary large files may increase due to due to their being limitedstorage space. In this case, another desired file may not be copied. Tosolve this problem, with the advancement in network technology, a filemay be moved through the network to another electronic apparatus or thecloud space 1010. When the mobile apparatus 1020 is moved by the user,network information in the context data may be used to determine whetherthe mobile apparatus 1020 smoothly connects to a wireless network.

FIG. 11 illustrates a user interface for receiving user profile dataaccording to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 11, the user interface includes a user hobby inputfield 1110 and a drop-down menu 1120.

A history of a storage device, accumulated through the use of thestorage device, may be stored in the storage device as part of the userprofile data, or may be managed as part of the user profile data, basedon a user's history. However, the exemplary embodiments are not limitedthereto, and a user may directly enter the user profile data via theuser interface as shown in FIG. 11. Referring to FIG. 11, the user hobbyinput field 1110 may allow the user to select his/her favorite hobby. Inthis case, the user enters watching movies through the user hobby inputfield 1110 as his/her hobby.

In particular, as shown in FIG. 11, the drop-down menu allows the userto select watching movies in order to enter ‘watching movies’ as auser's hobby through the user hobby input field 1110.

The exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto, and the user's hobbymay be received in many different ways.

Furthermore, the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto, andvarious information related to the user, including the users hobbies,may be received via the user interface. Various information related tothe user may be stored in the storage device, as part of the userprofile data.

FIG. 12 illustrates a user interface for setting user profile data foreach file according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 12, the user interface includes a file 1205, a mousepointer 1210, and a right-click menu 1220. The right-click menu 1220includes various options 1230, 1240, and 1250. The right-click menu 1220may appear when the user places the mouse pointer 1210 over the file1205 and right clicks on a mouse. However, the exemplary embodiments arenot limited thereto, and the right-click menu 1220 may be displayed onthe screen by using other methods.

In one exemplary embodiment, the various options 1230, 1240 and 1250 inthe right-click menu 1220 are related to the setting of user profiledata and include a data priority determination option 1230, a dataautomatic deletion permission option 1240 and an unimportant data option1250.

The data priority determination option, which is option 1230, the dataautomatic deletion permission option, which is option 1240 and theunimportant data option, which is option 1250 may be selected when theuser places the mouse pointer 1210 nearby and clicks on an option usingthe mouse. Alternatively, check boxes respectively next to the options1230, 1240, and 1250 may be marked to select whether to use the options1230, 1240, and 1250. Referring to FIG. 12, check boxes next to the dataautomatic deletion permission option, i.e. option 1240 and theunimportant data option, i.e., option 1250 are clicked in order to usethem. The data priority determination option 1230 enables the user todetermine a priority level for file 1205. More specifically, thepriority level for the file 1205 may be determined through a separatemenu after selecting whether to use the data priority determinationoption 1230. The determined priority level may be stored as part of theuser profile data. When the user sets the priority level of the file1205 to ‘high,’ the file 1205 will most likely not be selected toreserve a storage space on a storage device. When the user sets thepriority level of the file 1205 to ‘low,’ the file 1205 will most likelybe selected and processed to reserve the storage space on the storagedevice. As the priority level of the file 1205 increases, it is morelikely that the file 1205 will not be deleted but rather will be movedor compressed to reserve the storage space on the storage device.

The data automatic deletion permission option 1240 enables the user toselect whether to automatically delete data. When the user clicks thedata automatic deletion permission option 1240, as shown in FIG. 12, thefile 1205 may be deleted to reserve the usable storage space on thestorage device. Upon clicking the data automatic deletion permissionoption 1240 again, the file 1205 may not be deleted to reserve theusable storage space. Furthermore, it is possible to select whether topermit automatic deletion of data by using configurations different fromthe check boxes.

The unimportant data option 1250 allows the user to select the file 1205as unimportant data. Upon clicking the unimportant data option 1250, asshown in FIG. 12, the file 1205 may be treated as unimportant data andselected and processed in order to reserve the usable storage space onthe storage device. On the other hand, upon clicking the unimportantdata option 1250 again, the file 1205 may not be selected or processedto reserve the usable storage space thereon. Even if the file 1205 isselected, the file 1205 may not be deleted. However, the exemplaryembodiments are not limited thereto, and the file 1205 may be deleted.Furthermore, the user may select the file 1205 as unimportant data byusing configurations different from the check boxes.

FIG. 13 illustrates user profile data according to an exemplaryembodiment.

Referring to FIG. 13, the user profile data includes information relatedto an identifier, usage time, a user preference, a user inclination, afile name, a priority level, unused data and automatic data deletion.When many users use an electronic apparatus including a storage device,identifiers are used for identifying the respective users. Theidentifiers may be IDs with which the respective users use to log on tothe electronic apparatus. When an assumption is made that a single useruses an electronic apparatus, such as a mobile apparatus, the userprofile data may not include an identifier. A usable storage space onthe storage device may be reserved for each user by using thecorresponding user identifier.

As shown in FIG. 13, in an exemplary embodiment, the user profile datamay include data unrelated to a file, such as the usage time, the userpreference and the user inclination. The data unrelated to a file may beused as a reference in selecting a file with a low priority level andprocessing the selected file in order to reserve the storage space.

The usage time refers to a length of time, including a start time and anend time, during which the storage device or the electronic apparatus,including the same, has been used. The usage time may be input directlythrough a user interface or stored as part of the user profile databased on a user's history. In an exemplary embodiment, an assumption ismade that the user frequently used a computer, including the storagedevice, from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Thus, 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm may be storedas the usage time, as part of the user profile data, based on the user'shistory.

The user preferences refer to the user having a an inclination ortendency to do something. The user preferences may be input directlythrough a user interface or may be stored as part of user profile data,based on a user's history. In an exemplary embodiment, an assumption hasbeen made that the user selected to watch movies through a userinterface. Thus, watching movies may be stored as a user preference aspart of the user profile data. While FIG. 13 shows that watching moviesis a single user preference, the exemplary embodiments are not limitedthereto, and the user may have a plurality of preferences.

The user inclination refers to a user's personality or composition. Theuser inclination is not directly observed but happens unconsciously. Theuser inclination may be input directly through a user interface or maybe stored as part of the user profile data, based on a user's historystored in the storage device. The user inclination may be determinedbased on the user's history. Referring to FIG. 13, in an exemplaryembodiment, an assumption is made that the user always deleted a fileless than a week after receipt of the file into a folder C:\DOWNLOAD.The user inclination, as determined based on the user's history, is thatthe user is inclined to delete the file in the folder C:\DOWNLOAD inless than a week. The user inclination may be stored as part of the userprofile data.

According to an exemplary embodiment, user profile data related to afile includes information related to the file name, the priority level,unused data, and automatic data deletion. The user profile data relatedto a file may be used as a reference in selecting a file having a lowpriority level and processing the selected file in order to reserve thestorage space.

The file name is used to identify a file. The file name is used todetermine that data related to a file is data related to a file having aparticular file name. The file name may also identify a folder as wellas a file.

Priority level information contains information related to a prioritylevel of the file. The priority level may be input directly through auser interface or be stored as part of the user profile data based on auser's history. In an exemplary embodiment, a file movie.avi is set topriority level 1, a game folder is set to priority level 2, and a filename zip.zip is set to priority level 3. The file movie.avi having ahigh priority level of 1 may not be selected to reserve a storage spaceon the storage device. Even if the file movie.avi is selected forreserving the storage space on the storage device, the file movie.avimay not be deleted, although it may be moved or compressed. Informationrelated to the unused data may be determined according to selection ofthe unimportant data option 1250 (FIG. 12). As shown in FIG. 13,information indicating that the unimportant data option 1250 is selectedfor the file zip.zip so that the file zip.zip is not used, may be storedas part of user profile data.

Information related to the automatic data deletion 1240 may bedetermined according to selection of the automatic data deletionpermission option 1240, as shown in FIG. 12. As shown in FIG. 13,information indicating that the automatic data deletion permissionoption 1240 is not selected for a game folder. As a result, it isimpossible to automatically delete data in the game folder, but the datamay be stored as part of the user profile data.

FIG. 14 illustrates a screen displaying user profile data, according toan exemplary embodiment. The user may wonder about details related touser profile data that is used as a reference in processing a selectedfile, in order to reserve a storage space on a storage device. That is,inputting user profile data through a user interface may reflect theintention of a user. On the other hand, user profile data that is storedbased on the user's history may reflect the user's history. However,since the user may not directly recognize the user profile data, theuser may not desire to process a selected file based on the user profiledata. Thus, as shown in FIG. 14, details related to user profile datamay be displayed to the user. In this case, all of the user profile datamay be displayed, or a portion of the user profile data may beselectively displayed, if necessary. Referring to FIG. 14, the fact thatthe user frequently surfs the Web between 2:00 and 6:00 is determinedbased on a users history, and information indicating the same isdisplayed to a user.

FIG. 15 illustrates the setting of data to reserve a usable storagespace on a storage device according to user profile data, according toan exemplary embodiment. Checkboxes 1540 and drop-down boxes 1550 areshown in FIG. 15.

Since various types of data, such as user profile data and context data,may be used as a reference to reserve the storage space on the storagedevice, it is possible to set data that is used as a reference indetermining a selection of a file, from among the various types of datawhen reserving the storage space on the storage device. In an exemplaryembodiment, the user may click and mark the check box 1540 on the leftside of user inclination so as to set the user inclination as data thatis preferentially considered from among the user profile data. However,the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto, and setting isperformed so as to preferentially consider the user inclinationaccording to various configurations. Referring to FIG. 15, according toan exemplary embodiment, the drop-down box 1550 allows a user to set aweight of the user inclination to a maximum of 10, a weight of userpreference to 0, a weight of data priority level information to 5, butis not limited thereto. However, the data priority level informationwith respect to which the check box 1540 not being marked may not beconsidered although the weight thereof is set to 5. Thus, a file may beselected and processed based on the user inclination and processed toreserve a usable storage space on the storage device. However, theexemplary embodiments are not limited thereto, and other various typesof data may be set.

FIG. 16 illustrates an apparatus for managing a storage space on astorage device, according to an exemplary embodiment. Referring to FIG.16, the apparatus includes a context data collector 1610, a fileselector 1620, a file processor 1630, a storage 1640, a user input 1650,and a message output 1660. The context data collector 1610 collectscontext data according to various methods. For example, the context datamay be collected from sensors, such as a gyroscope, a light detectionsensor and a GPS sensor. Location information may be collected by usinga GPS sensor or a compass module, and network information may becollected through communication modules, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth®.

The file selector 1620 selects a file having a low priority level byusing at least one of the context data collected by the context datacollector 1610 and user profile data that is received through the userinput 1620 or stored in the storage 1640. The collected context data isthen stored in the storage 1640 and used for selecting a file.

To reserve a usable storage space on a storage device, the fileprocessor 1630 processes the file selected by the file selector 1620 byusing at least one of the context data and the user profile data. Thecollected context data may be stored in the storage 1640 so that anelectronic apparatus including the storage device may use the contextdata to process the selected file.

The usable storage space may be reserved on the storage device byperforming at least one of deletion, movement and compression of theselected file. In particular, in response to a determination that thestorage device is able to connect to a wireless network while the usermoves, the file processor 1630 may move the selected file to anotherstorage device over the wireless network. On the other hand, in responseto a determination that the storage device is not able to connect to thewireless network while the user moves, the file processor 1630 may movethe selected file to another storage device in the electronic apparatusincluding the storage device.

The user input 1650 may receive user profile data from the user.

The storage 1640 may store the context data collected by the contextdata collector 1610. The user profile data may be received through theuser input 1650 and stored in the storage 1640, or a user's history maybe stored as part of the user profile data. The user's history may bestored as part of the user profile data based on history recordsselected by the file selector 1620 or processed by the file processor1630. The storage 1640 may be the same as the storage device attemptingto reserve a usable storage space. However, the exemplary embodimentsare not limited thereto, and the storage 1640 may be different from thestorage device.

The message output 1660 may output to a user a message which indicatesthat the file processor 1630 processes the selected file to reserve ausable storage space on the storage device. The message output 1660 mayalso output to the user a message which indicates the performance of atleast one of the tasks performed by the file processor 1630. When thefile processor 1630 attempts to delete the file selected by the fileselector 1620, the message output 1660 may also output a message to theuser, asking the user to confirm whether to delete the file.

While one or more exemplary embodiments have been described withreference to the figures, it will be understood by those of ordinaryskill in the art that various changes in form and details may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention as defined by the following claims. Thus, it should beunderstood that the exemplary embodiments described therein should beconsidered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes oflimitation.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method in an electronic device, comprising:obtaining at least one of context data and user profile data; andperforming an operation on at least one file, wherein the operation isdetermined among a plurality of operations by using at least one of thecontext data and the user profile data, wherein the plurality ofoperations include at least one of deletion, movement, and compression.2. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor configured to obtainat least one of context data and user profile data, and to perform anoperation on at least one file, wherein the operation is determinedamong a plurality of operations by using at least one of the contextdata and the user profile data, wherein the plurality of operationsinclude at least one of deletion, movement, and compression.
 3. Anon-transitory computer readable recording medium having recordedthereon a program for executing the method of claim 1.